Body-rest for caskets.



. Patented Nov. I3, I900. T. W. QOUGHLIN. BODY BEST FOR 'CASKETS A cat on 111 a'ma so 1900 (No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WV. COUGHLIN, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

BODY-REST FOR GASKETS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,635, dated November 13, 1900.

A li ati fil d March 30,1900. Serial No. 10,858. (No model.)

To all whom, it may con/acre:

Be it known that I THOMAS W. OOUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Head and Body Rests for Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved head and body rest for caskets.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a cross-section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the arrangement of the supporting-legs. Fig. 4 is a detached View of one of the sets of legs.

The main part of the support is formed of a piece A, which maybe of wood or any suitable material, having atits lower end hinged pieces B, by which it is secured to the bottom of the casket. At the sides near the upper end are handles O for manipulating the support. These handles, as shown, are made of wire and are secured to the support in any suitable manner. The adjustable headpiece D is secured to the rest near the upper portion thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, it is formed of a piece of Wire bent into circular shape, the ends of the wire being twisted together, as shown at E, the extreme end being turned out to form the pintles F. These pintles are connected to the piece A, so as to form a hinged joint, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Pivoted at one side of the piece A is a bar or rod G, which has at the center a portion H, bent at an angle, as shown, and at the other end is bent upward to form the operating-handle I. It will be seen that as this rod is moved one way or the other the head-rest D will be raised or lowered and that by the construction shown the said head-rest will be mainin any suitable manner, though I prefer to make them as shown in Fig. 4, and the number of the sets of legs may be as desired. Pivoted to the under side of the piece A is an operating device M, which is of the form shown in Fig. 3. It is preferably made of wire and is hinged to the piece A by means of a staple, through which the wire passes, the upper end of the Wire being formed into an operating-handle M.

In use this device is secured to the bottom of the casket by means of tacks, screws, 850., passing through the pieces B, and after the body is placed in the casket it maybe adjusted by raising the rest by the handles C until the desired angle of inclination is reached. The rest is then supported by one of the legs L, depending upon the height to which it has been raised. The headpiece D is separately adj usted by moving the rod G one way or the other. If it is desired to adjust the body higher, all that is necessary is to lift the rest by the handles, when the longer legs will come automatically into operation, as will be clearly seen from an inspection of the drawings. If it is desired to lower the body, the rest is lifted slightly by the handles, and then by moving the operating device M by its handle N the tire operations necessary for adjusting the body to different positions may be performed without the necessity of inserting the hands beneath the body or beneath the rest.

It will be obvious that but one leg may be used, if so desired, the end of the same being formed so as to engage with the material of the bottom of the casket, and that by setting thisleg at different angles different degrees of adjustment maybe reached and maintained, as the rest is prevented from endwise movement by the fastening devices B. This isillustrated in Fig. 1.

What I claim, and desire to ters Patent, is

1. In a rest for caskets, the combination of a frame or support, legs pivoted to said frame or support to support the same at different angles, and means carried by'the frame for secure by Letengaging with and throwing the supportinglegs out of operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a rest for caskets, the combination of a frame or support, legs of difiierent lengths pivoted to said frame or support to support the same at different angles, and means carried by the frame for engaging with and throwing the supporting-legs out of operative position, substantially as described.

3. In a rest for caskets, the combination with a frame or support for the body of a head-rest pivoted thereto, and a lever pivoted to said frame and adapted to adjust and hold the head frame or support in the desired position, substantially as described. 

